


Spitfire

by bobadeluxe



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Age Difference, Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Implied Relationships, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21849424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe
Summary: Various scenes from Kibkab Age Swap AU.
Relationships: Kabu/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 17
Kudos: 111





	1. The Defeat

**Author's Note:**

> Got this idea and wrote something short real quick. Basically, Kabu is a promising young trainer who's set out to become Galar's champion. He couldn't compete in Hoenn because of.. stuff. Then he got his ass beat by the old dragon tamer.
> 
> This is really short, I'm just tipping my toes in so to speak, buttt I will write more of this AU soon! I've got Plans™.

The battlefield was slick with rain and mud, too wet to stand his ground even when Kabu got on his knees. His fingers reached for the fake grass - and slipped - causing him to fall onto his scraped elbows. Crushed under the unfathomable weight of defeat and rainfall, soaking through his uniform to his very bones. It was so, so cold, Kabu’s teeth began to chatter. Yes, the cold, that… that was why Kabu trembled. Why his vision blurred.  _ The cold. _

“Smile for the camera, kiddo,” Raihan’s voice boomed above him. Impassive and uninterested, as if he didn’t just stomp Kabu’s dignity beneath his feet. He had won countless times, and no longer took gratification from the victory. For the dragon tamer, this part was merely a formality.

The Rotom phone flew from the two meters height to hover above Kabu’s face. “The world is watching, better not waste their time.” 

Kabu snarled and made a grab for Rotom, but it was quicker than him, spinning out of reach at the last second. Losing balance, Kabu fell forward once again into the puddles beneath him.

“This is not over! Next time, I am going to win - “

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve heard that a million times,” Raihan was unimpressed. “Struggle all you like.”


	2. The Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer one. These won't be linear btw, just loosely connected. Gonna write whatever scene that comes to mind.

In Hammerlocke vault there lived a Charizard. An old, pathetic thing. Wrinkled skin hanging off brittle bones like worn out boots. Despite its massive size, the Charizard made the softest sounds while it slept. Low snoring that only let out the tiniest of sparks, not unlike the barely-lit flame at the tip of its tail. A soft breeze could put it out in mere seconds, just like that.

Kabu was dumbfounded. He did not know what to expect when he broke into the vault, or  _ why _ he was breaking into the vault. (Once again, Kabu's impulse became his own undoing.) But it certainly wasn't.. this. In shock, Kabu let his guard down, and noticed a second too late when the Charizard woke up. Cracking open one heavy eyelid, it glanced up at him, baring fangs and breathing out flame. Kabu jumped back, reaching for his Pokeball -

"Charizard, come back!"

Raihan's voice came from behind him.  _ Since when did he get here?  _ Kabu swore he did not hear any footsteps approaching. Well, no matter. He came just in time, gloved hand holding a Pokeball up high to recall the Charizard back.

The pokeball clasped shut with a soft  _ click,  _ and they were now alone. Together. Kabu turned around to look at the man, unsure what kind of face he should be putting on, caught red-handed as he was. He supposed he should be scared, or perhaps guilty.

Yet the first thing he said was, "I didn't know you have a Charizard."

"Curious one, aren't you?" Raihan didn't look angry. He sounded almost.. bored. Kabu decided to take it as a good sign. "What did you expect to find in here? Treasure lining the floor to the walls?"

"Something like that," Kabu murmured.

Ever since he lost to Raihan, Kabu became invested in the dragon tamer. To defeat your opponent you must first know them after all. So apart from preparing his Pokémon for the next season, Kabu dedicated his time to researching. One of the most notable things he learned about Raihan was that, not only was he the top gym leader, he held other positions as well. He guarded the power plant - the beating pulse of Galar - and he represented Macro Cosmos bank. Kabu wondered what it felt like to have that much power. Would it burn?

And then there was this vault. Kabu expected something of significance, certainly. Not on old Pokémon sleeping in front of some dusty tapestry. 

"Boys," Raihan sighed, disappointed. "Always poking their head where they don't belong.. touching things that aren't theirs."

"I haven't touched anything," Kabu argued.

"Yet."

"You have not answered my question." Kabu was vaguely aware that he was not in the position to demand answers, but curiosity got the better of him. He had nothing but nerve. "I've never seen you use Charizard. Is it because it's not a dragon?"

"It is, species-wise."

"Whatever. Your team has never been restricted by type, so why?" 

Raihan ran a mixed team, and only had two dragon types in his current line up. To see him with a fire Pokémon- Kabu's favorite - albeit not a monotype one… well, it made Kabu feel.. something. Intrigued, maybe.

He learned the hard way that monotype was not practical in Galar's league meta. Kabu had much from Hoenn to unlearn, and he still hadn't even figured out Dynamaxing. Yet, he was more interested in Raihan than anything else.

He wasn't sure why.

"He's retired," Raihan answered after a long pause. "Doctor's order."

Not a surprise, the Charizard looked  _ ancient.  _ Kabu tried to recall how often he saw a Pokémon that old, but came up blank. Pokémon was competitive by nature. They strive to grow, improve, and evolve. A sentiment that Kabu could relate. Even Pokémon that did not combat usually have some sort of goal to push forward. Aiding their owners in everyday's life, working alongside human, whatever that made use of their skills. Charizards especially were owned by trainers more often than not, due to its temperament. To see one so very old, it could no longer battle… it was disturbing, to say the least. Usually, they would be released into the wild or dropped off in a nursery by now. Not being kept in a vault.

"When are you joining him then? Soon, I hope."

Raihan laughed, warm and honey-voiced, lighter than the weight his words carried.

"They will be picking up my corpse from the field. Retirement is not an option."

Kabu swallowed nervously. Raihan, on the other hand, was unreadable as ever. Wearing that lazy, lop-sided grin as his mask, voided of any warmth and sincerity that could be reflected in his eyes. There was something different about him tonight, though.

Raihan looked.. tired. He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, looming over Kabu with his exceptional height. Yet, it didn't feel like he was really there. His eyes were unfocused, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. His presence lacked the usual pressure that it would exert. Crow feet and laugh lines appeared more prominent on his warm brown skin. 

For a man in his forties, Raihan had aged well. Kabu compared him to his old league card and barely noticed a difference at all. Save for a few wrinkles perhaps, and the loss of his trademark hoodies and headband. Apart from that, Raihan only looked older because of the way he now carried himself. Solemn im his old age. Distant. Cold. 

What happened?

Raihan was holding Charizard's pokeball close to his heart. When he shifted his gaze down to Kabu, he looked so -  _ lonely _ .

"Did you come here to see me, Kabu?" His name rolled off Raihan's tongue. Kabu always thought of his name as strong, but Raihan managed to make it pretty.

He stepped closer, invading Kabu's personal space. His first instinct was to step back, but he stood firm. Rooted in the spot if not by courage then - desperation. His cheeks burned hot, and he prayed that the vault's darkness would hide his blushes. Raihan had his back turned from the windows, obscuring the moonlight. Every spark of colors that shined through the stained glass died in his shadow before it could reach Kabu.

He tried to be brave, or at least sounded like he was. Fixing his gaze at the older man, unmoving.

"So what If I did?" His voice did not tremble,  _ thank Arceus _ .

"Why, I'd be delighted of course," Raihan whispered, sounding positively  _ sultry _ . "This castle doesn't get a lot of visitors anymore. No one wants to keep an old man company."

"W-well,"  _ Damnit!  _ "I am here, so you better be grateful."

"I am," Raihan smiled. "Thank you."

This had got to be a test, to see if Kabu would crack under the pressure. Well, he wasn't going to. Raihan could do whatever he -  _ oh, he was reaching towards him. Was he going to touch Kabu? He was going to touch Kabu. His fingers were so, so long - _

Raihan flicked his forehead, "Go home, kiddo, before I call the police on your ass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should clarify that Raihan is just calling him kiddo to be a shithead. I've noticed one of the gym challenger npcs was an old man, so I'm sure adults can participate in the league too!


	3. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually chapter four, but I figured I should post this first cause it can't just be 'Raihan saying weirdly suggestive shit to Kabu: The Fic'. No Kabu in this one, sadly! But he'll be back!

"Rotom, update my status," Raihan commanded his Pokémon, using voice-to-text instead of typing. A new habit his doctor agreed was better for his spine, but annoyed everyone around him to no end.

"Been stuck in a meeting for hours..."

"Rai – _Mr. Raihan_ , please," Oleana pleaded. " Can we be reasonable?"

He looked down from Rotom to meet her gaze. Nowadays, Oleana might be the only person who could look at him in the eyes.

Raihan was being willfully difficult, and he knew it. It wasn't fair – Oleana was as tired of this charade as him. Being a chairwoman weighted down on her worse than old age. She was never a happy person, but now she was miserable. The dark circles around her eyes that make up couldn't quite cover matching her grim expression. She wasn't suited for this position – qualified, sure, but still. She was a researcher, an inventor – a genius. She should be in a lab, making use of her brilliance. Not letting her potentials rusted because of a dead man's will.

Raihan whistled, long and low. He could see Oleana's eyelid twitched. "He really did a number on you."

"I don't see how that's relevant to our discussion," retorted Oleana. Her gaze ice cold, and her tone even colder. If Raihan didn't know better, he'd think that he was being threatened. But no, she wouldn't dare.

Not with him.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Raihan rolled his eyes, waving Rotom back into his pockets.

"You know why," Oleana cut to the chase. "Again and again, you refuse to cooperate with us. Why? If you think you're protecting Leon's legacy, then you're wrong. What you're doing right now goes against everything Leon stood for."

"And what did Leon believe in?" Raihan interrupted, not bothering to hide his irritation. Every time someone brought up Leon, his patience ran thin. "Since you know him _so well_ , maybe you could enlighten me."

Oleana approched the subject with the same carefulness one would use to avoid Turtonator's shell traps. One wrong step, and it would not end well for anybody. "..Leon believed that the League help motivate trainers to become stronger – "

"Leon believed that because he was too optimistic for his own good," Raihan did not wait for her to finish. He had heard this pitch before. "The league exists to _sell tickets_. You're not harassing me because I'm standing in the way of some poor bright-eyed trainers. It's because sponsors don't like Hop, and now you're taking it out on me. If there was another trainer worthy of the title, then we would've already had a new champion."

"You speak as if you have nothing to do with the fact that no challenger has made it past you for years."

"And no one in the major league could beat Hop either, yet I don't see you accusing _them_ of foul play."

"You don't follow the league's rules. You barely comply with our contract."

"If you have a problem, contact Hammerlocke's lawyer."

Oleana said nothing. Raihan didn't either. Seemed like once again they have reached a standstill.

"I see now that neither of us could be convinced," she stood up from the couch once she came to the conclusion. No longer willing to waste another second with him. "Thank you for coming, you can see yourself out."

Raihan stood up without a word, but when he put his hand on the door's handle, Oleana's words stopped him in his track. Her voice came from behind him, yet it felt further. The same distance as her heart which had never been put into her work. Not anymore. He almost misunderstood that she was talking to herself.

"You make him unhappy, you know."

"Who?" Raihan frowned, not quite following.

"Hop," Oleana hummed. "He doesn't want to be the champion."

"Funny, that. I seem to remember him not wanting to be anything _but_ the champion."

"He was ten."

"Since when did you care? Don't use him to guilt-trip me, Oleana. It's not going to work"

He must've hit the nail right on the head, because she suddenly went quiet. Huh. She was becoming more and more like Rose, wasn't she? Back then, when backed into the corner, she would pull her hair out and scream. She would fight. Now she just turned away and kept her mouth shut. Raihan hated this habit with Rose, and now he hated it still. When you expected an apology, an explanation, guilt, anger, anything at all – but the only reaction you got was this... dismissive silence. You might as well have been talking to a wall because he wouldn't give you closure. _Already resigned to his fate, Rose gave him a pitiful smile and –_

Raihan pushed the door open. He didn't turn back to look at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dear arceus i edited this like 50 times


	4. The Viral Video

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I procrastinated instead of working and ended up writing more, whoops.  
> Another chapter that I write in English first and not my native language, it was a good excercise. Hope you like it!

“You’ve upset her,” Sebastian said the second Raihan walked into the gym’s common room. He was about to ask _‘Who?’_ but then he saw an envelope in Sebastian’s hands. With the League’s logo, red bolded ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ stamp and everything. 

“Ugh,” Raihan groaned, sitting down on a couch opposite of him. “Sum it up for me, would you?”

“So we are illiterate now all of the sudden,” Sebastian muttered under his breath as he opened the envelope.

“Hey, come on now. I had a long day.”

He hadn't. He was just feeling lazy, and his eyes hurt something fierce. Though If Sebastian didn’t want him to become reliant on his trainers, then maybe he shouldn't have spoiled Raihan. Sebastian nudged his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, his eyes skimming over the documents. 

“She’s proposing a few changes to our contracts for the upcoming season,” he summarized.

“ _Arceus,_ ” Raihan swore. “Couldn’t she just let her garbage Pokémon throw acid in my face like before - “

“Don’t be cruel.”

“It’s literally a garbage Pokémon, Sebastian. You know I would never. Anyway, do we have to settle arguments in court exclusively now when we're old? What happened to internet beef?”

“Internet what?”

“Nevermind that,” Raihan waved at him. “Tell me the damage.”

Sebastian hesitated for a brief moment, but then said, “Every Pokémon in your Gym’s line up must be a dragon-type or a half dragon-type only. That applies to your trainers as well. In the Champion tournament however, you may include up to two non dragon-type.”

“No,” Raihan said without a moment's consideration. “What’s she… How is that helpful? I don’t even field Torkoal in the tournament anymore. It’s already an all dragon-type line up.”

Sebastian continue, “You may no longer use the double battle technique - “

“What? No! That’s our whole thing!”

“I agree, sir. It’s a total, uh,” Sebastian searched for words. “Baloney.”

“Wow, Sebastian! You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

"I will have you know that the word is extremely obscene in Kalos," Sebastian huffed.

"It is?" Raihan raised an eyebrow at him. It didn't sound right, but he didn't know enough about Kalos to dispute it.

"...No, I just wanted to swear and got flustered but let's not talk about that ever again. What did you say to set her off this time?"

"Nothing? It's just the same old 'Where is your sportsmanship' and 'You are defeating the purpose of Pokémon league' argument," Raihan said.

The Pokémon league walked a fine line between what it claimed to stand for and how it made profits. The Gym challenges were meant to motivate aspiring trainers, and the champion title was to promote the rich culture of Pokémon training to today's youth. If that was true then, Raihan wiping the stadium with children and ending aspiring trainer’s careers was.. unsportsmanlike. Sure. But on the opposite end of the spectrum was an audience who watched Pokémon league solely for entertainment. The ones who criticize the league for not representing 'real battles'. The ones who get tired of controlled difficulties and gym missions meant for sixth graders. Now _that_ was Raihan's crowd. 

They loved that he used double battle and weather-controlling techniques. Arguably the more advanced battle styles. Very few young trainers knew how to adapt to his unpredictability on the battlefield. They loved seeing him win _and_ most of them were adults, so they bought more tickets. Oleana could get on his case all she wanted for running a mixed team or using moves forbidden by the league. Numbers couldn't lie. People ate him up. There was a reason why Raihan remained as the top - and the most popular - gym leader. She wouldn't be the first one accusing him of foul play anyway. Raihan got plenty of that in his inbox when he beat someone's favorite team challenger… or someone's niece. Or both. Yeah, that was one of the problems too. The controversial rules that let children compete, the ethics of putting them on live television, the safety hazards, the risks.. then there was the whole Chairman Rose debacle and Leon.

_Leon._

"Leader Raihan? Are you listening?"

"No," Raihan admitted. Leader Raihan, though? Sebastian needed to stop being so formal all the time. "Were you saying something?"

Sebastian sighed, "Doesn't matter. It clearly wasn't as important as what you're thinking about."

"Hm. I'm just thinking that we don't need to agree to these changes at all," Raihan leaned back and crossed his arms underneath his head. "There would be backlash if they force us to dumb down our strategies. Oleana can't handle another controversy. She would back down if we stand our ground."

"Have you considered that there might not be any backlash at all?" Sebastian asked.

"Uh, No? Because that's stupid?"

"Leon's Undefeated Champion storyline was a novelty at the time, but with Hop it's tedious. People are growing tired of him, and he's not particularly good at playing the Champion role. He's losing the popularity poll as we speak. People want a new champion, and they are tired of seeing you win. _Something_ needs to change in the next season, the rating will suffer otherwise."

"I…" Raihan struggled to find flaws in Sebastian's argument, and failed miserably. He was starting to regret recruiting nerds now. Why did he ever think it was a good idea? Young Raihan had a lot to answer for. "Fair enough... but what else is there? Nothing is as compelling as 'The younger brother of the late champion battling to protect his legacy' storyline right now."

Sebastian did that glasses-pushing motion again. "How about the flaming star that crashed into the Galar region from the distant land of Hoenn?"

"What the fuck?"

Sebastian _tsked_ , "Kabu!"

"Oh, right!" Raihan slapped his knee. "That is.. a long tagline. And corny. Who's his publicist?"

"He doesn't have one, as far as I know. That's just what the press has been describing him. It's a reference to him saying that his plan for the next season is to 'burn as hot as he can'."

Still corny, and woefully simple-minded. Did he learn nothing at all from being defeated by Raihan? What a shame. He looked.. promising.

Yes, let's go with that. Promising.

There was no way he could defeat Raihan with that mindset, though.

"He's trending right now, by the way," Sebastian added offhandedly.

"On the same week Piers announced his band's reunion?" Rotom flew up to his face as if on queue, unlocking his phone and opening the application. 

Raihan used to be online all the time when he was younger. Nowadays, he decided to keep up his habit, but no longer had the same level of investment as he used to. So while he was just now finding out from Sebastian, his younger self would've been the first to know.

Albeit too late, Sebastian tried to warn him, "Wait, Leader Raihan, before you look it up - "

The video had already auto-played. Some reporters have caught Kabu outside of the Galar mine. It was strange, seeing him in his compression shirt but without the gym challenger jersey on top. Raihan never noticed until now how muscular Kabu was, despite his rather unfortunate height. No matter how much muscles he put on, he was still going to look small compared to Raihan. That was the case with pretty much everyone, really. Still, he didn't look half bad. His muscles were well defined, and although he almost suffered from baby-face syndrome, Raihan would call him handsome. What with those strong eyebrows and all.

Raihan was focusing on his looks because he had no idea why this video put Kabu on the trending page. The interview was rather boring, just Kabu describing his one-dimensional battle style and how he had to leave his Torchic in Hoenn because of Galar's strict Pokémon transfer laws. The only noteworthy thing, really, was how sweaty Kabu was. Maybe that was the reason. Sweaty Kabu meme. (Would it even be called a meme, still? Nowadays?) Arceus, this man could go against fire-type Pokémon using his sweat alone. Gross.. but in an almost endearing sort of way.

Then, it happened. The reporter asked Kabu what was his motivation for competing in the next season. Kabu answered, plain and simple, that he wanted to defeat his rival -

Raihan.

The cameraman gasped, the reporter let out a breathless _'Oh my'_ , and Sebastian physically cringed. The first time someone else declared Raihan as their rival after Leon, Raihan did not react very well. Not even remotely appropriate. Everyone learned that it was a sore subject to him, and the person who had the audacity to claim such title - well, they weren’t coming back to compete any time soon.

But this time, Raihan stared at his Rotom phone in bewilderment. His eyes opened wide, mouth agape. Rendered speechless as Kabu went on and on about considering him his greatest threat, and not worrying at all about any other challenger or gym leader. It had been some time since Raihan heard such passion in someone’s voice. Kabu’s gaze was positively _burning_.

Despite himself, Raihan smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a ridiculous amount of headcanons for Raihan's trainers askldjaskldjaskld  
> I tried to make Rihan sounded more like his younger self with Sebastian, since they've known each other for a long time. He's jaded with age for sure, but y'know, not entirely.


	5. The Galar Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one came out quick cause I already wrote a lot of it, just had to finish it up a little.  
> And also because I'm procrastinating... rip.  
> Thank you for the kind comments! I'll get to replying to y'all soon uwu. For now, have some Kabu!

"There's barely any room to breathe in here. Makes me feel claustrophobic," Raihan complained. As if someone forced him to walk into the Galar mine, and he didn't choose to follow Kabu. "What's a nice young man like you doing in a place like this?"

There he was again with his innuendoes. Slipping past his lips so casually, he might as well have been talking about the weather. It was maddening. Kabu felt the tips of his ears flushed red, even though he swore he would not let Raihan get to him..  _ again. _

"I am here to train," Kabu answered. His voice bounced between the wall, echoing so  _ loud _ , there was no way to hide how it cracked and trembled.

"But most of the Pokémon here is a water-type.." Raihan trailed off. Kabu could see the second he realized, confusion faded to a toothy grin. " _ Oh,  _ Kabu _.  _ Poor you."

Kabu had no clue if he should be angry or embarrassed. How egotistical the dragon tamer must be to think that Kabu was training against water-types because he lost to his Dracovish…! If only he was not absolutely right. Kabu despised the pitiful, borderlining on patronizing way Raihan was looking at him. Yet, he could not deny that Raihan had the prettiest blue eyes Kabu had ever seen. Ever since their eyes met, the sky paled considerably.

"Are you still upset that I rain danced all over your parade?" Raihan was still going on and on about their match. His voice was deep.. and sensual. Kabu really could not take any more of this.

"Even if you drown that poor Torkoal, he's not going to develop a type resistance," Raihan bent down to look at him - or, more likely, to avoid hitting the ceiling. Kabu took offense anyway, this was  _ not  _ how you should talk to a shorter person.

"You're going nowhere with your current roster. They're just not viable in Galar League. Sorry."

Because of their drastic height difference, Kabu could look right into the 'V' of Raihan's plunging neckline when he bent down. Kabu absolutely should not be looking - not that there was a lot to look at. Raihan was rather scrawny, in a frail old man sort of way. Kabu found himself transfixed anyway. Easily excited by the slightest hint of bare skin and collarbones. Feeling special that he got to see Raihan off-duty in his casual clothes. This was shameful. Kabu thought he was better than this. 

"I could help you catch new Pokémon, if you want," Raihan offered.

Was that an innuendo? Like watching the league and chill? Stopping by the tent to eat curry? Drinking coffee? Or were those trainers being friendly and Kabu wildly misinterpreted them. 

"I - "  _ This was a disaster. Reserve your dignity, Kabu. Was it so difficult, speaking without stumbling over your words?  _ "I.."

He looked up from Raihan's collarbones, hoping that by looking at  _ anything else  _ he would be able to concentrate. Then their eyes met and Kabu was distracted even further.

"What's up with your eyes?" Kabu blurted out, before he realized how rude that was.

"Hm?" Raihan blinked, taken aback. Kabu could make out thin, jagged gray lines crossing over Raihan's vibrant irises to his pupils.

"Oh, they're just scarring," Raihan explained now that he understood what Kabu was referring to. What Kabu was staring at. "I was careless. Never worn protection gears when I was young."

Kabu frowned, "You didn't wear any when we battled."

"I didn't say that I improved, did I?" Raihan laughed quietly to himself.

There it was, the third possibility had presented itself. That Raihan bent down simply because it was too dark in the mine for his poor eyesight to see clearly.  _ Now _ Kabu felt guilty and filthy-minded.

"So, about my offer.."

"I'm not interested in catching new Pokémon, or unsolicited advice," Kabu declined. It came out more defensive than he meant it to be.

"Suit yourself," Raihan straightened himself back up. The cologne whiffing from his neck made Kabu light-headed. "But can I give you one advice? Just one?" 

"..What is it?"

"Get a towel, you are  _ melting _ ," He busted out laughing.

Kabu wanted to die. He stood there as Raihan laughed, fists clenching by his sides and trembling. His body barely able to contain his… something. Rage, perhaps. Though he wasn't as offended as the remark as he was embarrassed that Raihan called him out. Did he usually sweat this much, or was it because of the effects the other man had on him? It was hot and humid in the Galar mine, but he felt fine until Raihan arrived. Now he was uneasy, and blushing furiously.

A towel. Yes, that would be helpful. The boutique in Motostoke might be able to help him out.

Speaking of which, "Why are you here?"

Raihan took a second to compose himself. "Me?"

"Did you come all this way from Hammerlocke to mock me?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Raihan didn't argue. "But no, I just saw that interview of yours and wondered if I could find you in here. Then I saw you waterboarding your poor Pokémon and had to intervene.” 

The interview.

Kabu felt his heart sink. Though he stood by what he said, the one-sided declaration of rivalry wasn’t his proudest moment. Earlier this morning when he went out jogging, he got heckled in the streets by Raihan’s fans. Then when he was grabbing breakfast at Battle Cafe, a girl told him with a mouthful of cookies that Raihan’s Duraludon was going to ‘Max Steelspike his ass’. She was four. He went to the internet, frustrated, only to find his anger replaced with guilt when he realized that he had committed a major  _ faux pas _ . It was common knowledge to everyone in Galar, apparently, that one should not declare themselves as Raihan’s rival. Kabu wasn’t trying to be ‘The new Leon’ as people kept insisting. He genuinely had no idea. Much of Galar escaped him still, the culture shock never stopped occurring even though he had been here for months.

Raihan didn’t look offended, though. He was smiling, and he even retweeted the video.

No caption.

Kabu felt the need to apologize anyway, “I’m sorry If I’ve offended you.”

“Aren’t you a polite young man,” Raihan seemed surprised, in a good way.

“I didn’t know that he - "

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. It’s been years,” Raihan looked away, seemingly lost in thought. “High time for something new. For the rating, if nothing else. My therapist is going to be thrilled. Or horrified.”

“...Right,” Kabu said without understanding what this was about. Best not to ask.

“Well, weren’t you going to train? Don’t stop on my account.”

It felt strange now to continue his routine with an audience. It would feel like putting on a show for Raihan, which.. It sounded... No, he couldn’t.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Or rather, he didn’t know how else to get out of this situation. “You could show me around the wild area.”

Raihan beamed at him, “Wonderful!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't make Raihan older because of Reasons™ (mostly timeline stuff), and I think he would age like fine wine cause... look at him. So I have to make him old in other ways apart from apperance-wise sakjdklasdasd. Sorry Raihan you get a bunch of health problems now. It's fine. You will cope like the rest of us.


	6. The Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really punked my own ass. I was like 'Oh this is just various scenes from the AU im gonna write whatever uwuwuwu' but now this thing has plot. It really got out of hands because I just have... so many ideas. Hence the frequent updates.
> 
> Note that I use Japanese names for characters and places in this chapter. Cause, Hoenn. Just felt appropriate. I left the pokemon name as is, though.
> 
> Genji = Drake  
> Kaina = Slateport City  
> Hagi = Mr. Briney

The S.S. Tidal never left Hoenn, but with a special ticket an exception could be made. One could not easily acquire such tickets, unless they were a close friend of the captain like Genji. Then all it took was a flip of PokéNav, one match call, and Kabu was off to Galar.

Many strings were pulled on his behalf. Even now, about to board the ship, Kabu was uncertain if he deserved it. Though Mr. Genji must’ve seen something in him - a glimpse inside his heart, as the old man said. Bright and shiny enough to worth all the hassle.

He was waiting for Kabu at the dock, and smoking from a glass pipe. The elegant design crafted from authentic Mt. Chimney's volcanic ash. Kabu would know, he'd recognize his grandmother's work anywhere. Hearing footsteps approaching, Genji turned to look at him, blood-red eyes piercing through the silvery cloud of smoke. Time seemed to froze as their eyes met, then the sea breeze blew the moment away to reveal him. Genji stood tall, unflinching, the torn and weathered captain uniform jacket offered little coverage to his bare torso. Yet, unlike Kabu who was huddling inside his long, oversized coat to hide from the cold air - Genji seemed to like it just fine.

"You have to leave her behind, lad," Genji gestured at his collars. Nothing could escape the former captain's gaze, it seemed.

Kabu's torchic popped her head out from his coat, snuggled underneath his chin. She tilted her head and looked up at Genji curiously, crooning as if to ask  _ Me? _

"Yes,  _ you _ , young lady," Genji said with a frown. "Kabu, you know the laws. Torchic is not registered on the Galar's dex. I am not going to help you smuggle her in."

Kabu was informed of the regulations in advance of their departure. He already left most of his pokémon in the Pokécenter, save for the very fews that were allowed into Galar. He knew Torchic was not one of them, but when she looked at him with her beady eyes Kabu just.. couldn't say no. She was the youngest of his team, only hatched from her egg just a few months prior. So young, and already shown so many promises. He had plans for her. He was going to evolve her into a Blaziken. She was going to be great.

“That’s hardly fair,” Kabu protested, albeit half-heartedly. He knew he was going to lose this argument. “I don’t have a full team right now as it is. How am I going to compete?”

“Well, you’re going to have to find a way,” Genji stopped puffing on his pipe, letting the fire die out. “Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you went and got yourself into hot water.”

Kabu sighed, but concede. He reached into his coat’s pockets for Torchic’s pokeball, and recalled her back inside. Genji beckoned him over, and took Torchic from him. There was nothing else he could do. As they boarded the S.S Tidal, Kabu decided to break the silence.

“I’m sorry sir,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I truly appreciate what you are doing for me.”

“Think nothing of it,” Genji patted his head almost on instinct. If it was anyone else, Kabu might’ve been offended. “You’re a good lad. Your heart is in the right place. Just need to get your head screw on straight, and a tad of sense. Galar is going to do you some good.”

“Have you been there?”

“Oh, I’ve been everywhere. Sailed the whole world and then some.” Judging by Genji’s voice, he wasn’t impressed with what he saw. Probably why he came back to Hoenn and remained as one of the Elite Four. “Real garbage region. Awful weather. I hated it there.”

“Uh.”

“They were all obsessed with curry too for some reason. But  _ not  _ the good kind you could eat in Kanto. They don’t even season their potatoes. Truly a miserable place.”

“..Why did you say this place would be good for me again?” Kabu had to ask.

“Because It’s going to humble you,” Genji patted his head again, though not unkindly. “Go, find your cabin. It’s going to be a long trip. Me and good ol’ Hagi have a lot to catch up on.”

Kabu didn’t sleep well that night, and when Genji banged on a metal tray to wake him up, he almost had a heart attack. It was alarming, seeing someone else in his room first thing in the morning. But Kabu reminded himself that Genji was an old man who was used to living alone, or in a tight quarter with his shipmates. Personal space was a foreign concept to him.

“Got you something. Let’s talk over breakfast - ” Genji caught himself. “Oh, and good morning.”

The breakfast on the metal tray consisted of lava cookies, herbal tea, and mashed berries mixed with spice. Kabu appreciated its simplicity. It reminded him of home. When they finished eating, Genji handed him a shiny new phone. It looked more expensive than anything Kabu ever owned.

"We stopped by Kaina while you were asleep, so I went ahead and bought you a new phone. It cost an awful lot, so be sure to take good care of it."

"You didn't have to.."

"I do. Your PokéNav won't work in Galar, and you need a Galarian Pokédex. They have it all on their phone over there. Counter-intuitive, if you ask me, but when in Galar..."

"Thank you sir," Kabu said, looking down at his new phone, not really sure what to make of it. He grew up poor, and only just received his PokéNav recently for free. So he wasn't the most tech-savvy person out there, despite his age.

"How do I..?"

"You can't access the Pokédex yet. Got to find yourself a Rotom to enhance your phone. For now, use the printed guide I gave you."

Kabu didn't want to ask so many questions, but he barely understood what Genji was saying. "What's a Rotom?"

"No clue," Seeing Kabu's puzzled expression, Genji let out a soft laugh. "What? Just because I'm one of the Elite Four doesn't mean I know everything. I already know enough."

"Right.."

"Try me. Ask me anything," Genji said.

Kabu mulled over his many, manybquestions and ended up with, "Why the strict regulations against national pokémons?"

"A few reasons," Genji refilled their tea. This was going to be long. "They have a very fragile and controlled ecosystem. If it's exposed to new elements, it might just come crashing down. It's not so good over there for the pokémons either. They got dying Corsola and Weezing choking on green smog. Poor things. Then there are these power spots.."

"Power spots?"

"Galarian folks use them to dynamax their pokémons. The native pokémon there react to it just fine. They get  _ huge  _ \- some even change shape. No one knows what would happen to foriegn pokémons if you expose them to the power spots, though. So their Dex only consisted of Dynamax-safe Pokémon."

That was fair, he supposed. Kabu wouldn't want to endanger his Torchic, as much as he'd like to bring her with him. Now that he came to think of it.. Didn't the late Galar's champion have a Charizard? How was  _ that _ fair? Maybe if Kabu wins the Champion title, they would make an exception for him too. Then they could reunite.

Another reason to redeem himself.

"You seem troubled," Genji pointed out.

"I can't help but feel like I'm in over my head," Kabu admitted. "I don't know the first thing about Dynamax. Or Galar. Everything is new to me.. and quite overwhelming."

"Good," Genji nodded. "That's a good instinct."

"It is?"

"Hm. Maybe this time, you won't be so reckless."

"I won't," Kabu promised. "I won't let you down, sir."

"We will see," Genji said, wiping cookie crumbs from his beard with the back of his hand. Then he reached under the tray to hand Kabu an envelope.

It was the endorsement letter.

Since then Kabu kept it on himself at all times, feeling its immeasurable weight in his pockets. A reminder for him to burn. He only realized that he never personally opened it after Raihan defeated him. By then, the letter was wet and crumbled up. The paper almost transparent and the ink too smudged to read. It was incomprehensible.

He wrote a letter to Genji apologizing for his loss, but never received a response. He wondered if Genji was disappointed in him, or his letters too were rendered unreadable by the wet spots from his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoenn is my favorite region and Torchic is my favorite starter. So much memories. 
> 
> I have no idea if you could go from Hoenn to Galar by ship but let's just say yes.
> 
> Dragon-types seem to gravitate towards Kabu, huh.

**Author's Note:**

> This was not beta read and English ain't my first langauge, so I apologize for any mistake.


End file.
